White Picket Fence
by ashlin1296
Summary: They both have secrets, and both secrets are better than the other could ever have imagined. Oneshot.


_**A/N: Hi guys! I decided to post a quick Romione. For those of you who have read my other story, What We Could Be, I'm still diligently typing away! I made some large changes to the piece I had typed... it just didn't feel right. If you haven't read it, feel free to check it out. Here's a little oneshot for all y'all.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and I am not profiting from this fanfiction in anything other than experience.**_

Hermione sat on their bed, knees pulled to her chest, staring straight ahead in the near-darkness, the blankets pulled up but gathered around her feet as if she had long ago let them fall to rest there. Though she wore shorts as pyjamas, she was wearing a long sleeved thin material sweatshirt, the ends of the arms covering her to the tips of her fingers. Her hair was still a mess, fluffy around her ears to her shoulders, and her face was pale. Her eyes were very clear, though unfocused.

This was _their_ bed, _their_ too-small apartment, _their_ life. What had she done? What had he done?

The shower turned off, and the bathroom door opened. She turned her head to look at him, slowly. He stood silhouetted in the doorway, yellow light spilling into the room. He had boxers on, his towel slung around his neck. He was using it to dry his red hair. He must be working, or disappearing again today.

"What I don't understand, is why you did it." He said softly. "I thought you loved me, the way I love you. Eight years ago I would have died for you, if it meant keeping you safe. I would still, today. I thought that I meant more to you than... this."

She turned her head the opposite way, towards the windows. Her eyes were full of tears.

"Hermione, it's killing me inside every time I _think_ about it." He said, distraught. " ' _Hermione Weasley's Marriage in Turmoil? What Was She Doing With Former Lover Viktor Krum?'_ A headlining story, and not even her husband knows it."

"They had no right to print him as my lover," she said quietly.

"Oh, they didn't? Well you weren't a virgin when we made love for the first time, Hermione Jean Granger- Weasley," He said, just as quietly.

"He took my virginity, he was never my lover! Not the way you are! I never loved him the way I loved you- the way I still love you," She placed her forehead on her knees.

"Do you?"

"Yes," she sobbed. "More than anything I have ever loved, Ronald Weasley, I love you."

Ron wanted, more than anything, to wrap his arms around her and soothe her until her shoulders stopped shaking with her sobs. But he needed to know why she had gone to lunch with Krum, why she had lied to him about going to see her parents.

"Then why? Why, Mione? Having lunch with him is one thing, but lying to me about it... why?"

She raised her head. "I saw you in Diagon Alley the day... I went with Ginny, to help her with James." Since the younger girl was pregnant with her and Harry's second child, she often needed help with the first and Hermione was only too eager to volunteer. "I saw you with _her._ Lavender."

He winced, because he hadn't intended for her to know of the confrontation. "Nothing happened, Mi."

Her head whipped over to stare at him, and his heart broke as he saw the tears on her face. "Not only did you tell me you were helping George at the store, which was a lie, but _I saw you snogging her Ronald_."

He exhaled loudly. "Hermione, I _did_ go to help George out at the store, and we ran out of ink. He asked me to go pick up some more, and I ran into her. She was flirting and I told her I was working, and when I went to walk away she called me back and jumped me." He walked over to the bed and sat down in front of her. "Hermione, there has never been anyone but you for me."

"Oh, there has been. You haven't always loved me."

"I have!"

"Always, really? In first year when you made fun of me and pointed out that I didn't have any friends, that was love? When you spoiled my night with Viktor at the dance, that was love? When you snogged _Lav-Lav_ publicly and broke my heart for the first time? When you thought I was with Harry behind your back in the woods and you walked off and left, breaking my heart the second time? All of that was _love_?"

"In the woods, I left because you broke my heart. Because I loved you then, and I knew you couldn't love me- I was jealous, jealous of Harry, because he did everything didn't he? He was famous from a year old. He defeated Voldemort at eleven, and twelve, you two saved Sirius, he got picked as the fourth champion and saw Voldemort rise again, _and fought him_ , he taught us Defense Against the Dark Arts and fought Voldemort yet again, he went on secret missions with Dumbledore, and he lead us bravely in the woods and out of Malfoy Manor. He had money, girls loved him, he was famous. Even my mum loved him. Sometimes it was just difficult to be his friend. I couldn't imagine someone like you loving me when he was still an open choice. _Lavender_ was the first girl who had shown any interest in me over Harry, and I got lost in her for a while, but I missed you the whole time. She was shallow and uninteresting, all she wanted to do was mess around, which I've told you we did. She never held the attraction for me that you do. In fourth year, I was jealous again, of Viktor, because he had what I wanted, more than anything in my heart. And in first year- well, we were eleven. Haven't you heard, if a boy is mean to you, he likes you?"

She turned her head away, though he could see her tears.

"Hermione, perhaps I should've told you, and I'm sorry I didn't. I just didn't want to upset you when there was nothing for you to be upset about. You're the only girl that I have ever, ever truly loved. And there is only ever going to be you, for me."

She rested her chin on her knee. "I had lunch with Viktor because I was angry with you, and I figured, if you were lying, why shouldn't I? If you were cheating, why shouldn't I?"

His heart thumped in his throat as he realized what may have happened with Viktor.

"But in the end," she whispered. "In the end I couldn't do it, I love you too much, and it wouldn't have fixed my pain to cause you pain... I figured, if you wanted to go, you should go. If she can make you happier than I can make you, you should be w-with her."

He felt a great weight lifted off of his shoulders, the last few months of silence and fighting and tears and illnesses made sudden sense and he wasn't sure why he hadn't simply talked to her about it before. "Mi, I have only ever wanted to be with you."

"Really?"

"Really. Promise."

She slid her legs down, and when her ankles were close to him, he reached out and took them gently in hand, pulling her lightly to him, she slid around his torso until she sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and putting her head in her favorite place, the crook of his neck. Her body was curved away from him, but he wanted to hold her, to feel her. He pulled her tight to him, she uttered a light gasp.

Against his stomach, he could feel hers, but it wasn't flat as it usually was. It was rounder than he remembered, but he hadn't held her in so long he felt he could have simply forgotten. He knew her though, and none of this was like her, it was all so rash and emotional...

"Mi," he asked, pulling back, keeping her arms around his neck, but leaning away so as to look at her. "What...?"

She dropped her hands to her stomach. "I was going to tell you and then I saw you with her and... I didn't want you to feel obliged to stay. I found out the same day..."

He blinked, beginning to understand.

Her eyes met his, searching. "I'm pregnant, Ron."

"Wh-What?"He stuttered. "You're... really? You're pregnant?" His face filled with joy. "Mione, that's fantastic!"

"You really think so?"

"Of course I do! I'm so sorry that I haven't been there all these months, I couldn't... understand. That... I'm so happy!"

"I was looking for places to move to, when you caught me, not to make you angry or upset- partially because I thought you were through with me, but... we haven't the room here, for us and a baby."

He smiled, standing with her legs wrapped around his waist. "I believe I can fix that."

There was a twist, and she clung to him tightly. Apparation brought on a strong spin on her stomach and she fought the urge to vomit- pregnancy withstanding.

He nudged her when the tightness released, and she lowered her legs to the ground. Grass tickled her feet, and when she turned, she saw a house. "I was going to show you on our anniversary, but..." He said sheepishly as she glanced back at him, eyes wide.

The house was two stories, small, and blue; a wraparound porch was stained a dark brown, and the roofing was dark gray with off-white trimming. The windows were four paned, with shutters painted a cherry red- the same red of the big front door. Around the base of the porch were flower beds bordered by river rocks, and the rest of the yard was grass, save for a very large tree with a tree swing in the corner of the yard and a gray stone walkway to the dark wooden steps. She turned, taking it all in- the white picket fences that had flowers growing around the bases, the ivy climbing the side of the house, past the windows on the second story. Silent with awe at his masterpiece, she walked up the the front steps, lightly stepping up to the porch and crossing to the front door. She took hold of the bronze-silver handle and pushed down to open.

The inside, though empty, was just as beautiful. She walked through the downstairs and peered up to the bedrooms, then looked out the backdoor in the kitchen. There was a creek bubbling along past her long wanted fruit trees. Underneath the fruit trees was a picnic table, on the other side of the yard was a small swing set. She turned to tell Ron how beautiful it all was, when he took her hand and lead her upstairs, to a room with wall of windows set in three of bookshelves- all full. Through the window, was the rising sun, her favorite time to read.

"Ron-" She breathed.

"I love you," he replied, and kissed her soundly on the mouth.


End file.
